Chapter 23 - The Way of Trampling Someone

The Way of Trampling Someone

The horde of monsters seemed to be looking for something.

It’s like they’re looking something that ought to be around here.

They are clearly looking for me.

Maybe they traced me by my smell.

Though, it looks like this foul-smelling zone had hidden my scent.

But… I can’t take action against them.

Something is different from these minotaurs and birdheads.

They are certainly giving off the impression of a “flock of animals”.

However, I can feel a hint of intelligence from them.

The monsters stepped on the bones that had been scattered.

Pekkiii!

[Kaaaahheeeeee, guuuooooohhh, gggeeerrrriiii, ggeeeerrrriiii? Gguuee, guueeguuueee, gguueegguuee gggguueeeeeerrriiiihhhh!

Pekkii! Pakkii! Beekkkiii!

“gwhere!? gwhere!? gwhere!?”

That’s how their calls sound to me.

[It would be impossible to escape from here without being noticed–]

I pull out my body from the hole between the bones.

[In the end, it’s not like I plan to run anyway.]

I didn’t take any measure to hold this fort.

It’s not possible to specifically target all of them from here.

The nest is slightly elevated than the surroundings.

There’s also a rock wall on the back.

It seems that the circumstances this time is favorable.

Most of the monsters I see are humanoid lizards.

It looks like they were the so-called “Lizardman”.

But they look worse than the Lizardman I know.

There are those black objects protruding out from its shoulder that strangely looks like tentacles.

The tentacles looks like they’re twisted rag as they’re moving about in the air.

There’s also those liquid that were dripping from the tip of those tentacles.

Drip, drop…

Shuuuuuuu…

Are those acid too?

I think it’s better if I give up on the thought of eating this monsters here.

Their pupils are colored like a muddy gold.

While the area around his eyes are completely black.

That opening in its forehead— is that another mouth?

Does it have two mouths, one above and another below?

Their leg parts are more remarkably developed compared to their arms.

Their size is also bigger than the others.

It was even bigger than the minotaurs, which were already gigantic.

There were 20 of such monstrosities, or so I estimate.

[Gii gyuueehh?]

The first lizardman who noticed me made a hoarse cry.

[Giiguuueeaaahhh!!!]

All of the monsters looked at me at once.

Their killing intent is spreading even from where I stand.

But it’s not just pure killing intent.

[Giiyooo, giiyyooo, giiyyyooiiiihhh!!!]

[Hmm?]

Someone from the back lifted something in its hand as it moved forward.

That something is stuck on a long pole.

It was a skeleton.

It’s probably a human skeleton.

What’s more, the skeleton was dressed.

No– is it dressed by them?

[Uuueeehhh, uueeehh, uueehhehhehh~ ♪ ]

The lizardman swings the bones it’s raising left and right.

The guy next to him makes a gesture as if it’s planning to play a trick.

It’s squinting its eyes and it seems that it’s acting like it’s crying.

The guy who is imitating a crying child looks up towards the sky.

[Iiyaaaahhhhhh!!!]

It feels like it’s trying to change it’s voice.

Is it imitating someone screaming this time?

[Ah…]

I see, so that’s what they’re doing.

It’s an imitation of the dressed skeleton, a woman’s skeleton.

This time, another lizardman holding a soot skeleton came forward.

The skeleton this time is dressed like a man.

This skeleton certainly looks more solid than before.

A soot-colored skeleton.

That’s what I imagined.

One of the lizardman lied down on its back.

[Giieehhh, ggiiieehhhh, gggiiyyyooeeeeehhhh!?]

It’s swinging around it’s limbs as it screams loudly.

The lizardmen around it looks like they’re speaking with each other happily.

[Guueee, ggiiiyyaaa, giiiyaaa, giiyyaaaahhh ♪ ]

[Gggeeee, ggeeeee ♪ ggeee hhiiiiihhhh ♪ ]

They’re laughing at it.

The plight for life of a dying disposed person.

That disposed person probably is burned or beaten to death.

These guys enjoyed seeing the disposed person’s shriek of agony.

Doshhiiinnn!

After a few moments, another one with a bigger body came out from the back.

That guy put a skull near its feet.

The skull was also from a human.

Meryii—beekkkiii!!!

The big guy trampled the skull with the sole of its foot and crushed the skull.

Its eyes narrowed down and looked as if it’s squinting.

Its sharp fangs could be seen and the corner of its lips are visibly raised.

It’s smirking.

Now, be frightened!

We will kill you this way.

We will crush you to pieces.

We will trample you like so.

Or so I think what they’re trying to say.

Even if I’m clueless about their language, the thought completely came through.

I had already understood.

The lizardmen haven’t started attacking yet.

Their making light of me.

An E-Rank with a low correction value.

The growth of all my stats except for MP is really bad, even if my level has greatly increased.

It is overwhelmingly inferior compared to the other disposed persons.

They had already judged the “weakness” of the disposed people.

Even back in the past, they had already encountered the strongest of the low-level disposed people.

Therefore, there had no need to kill immediately.

There is no need to take initiative.

Why, you ask?

It’s because they could kill you anytime.

It’s because those people from the bottom can never get out of this predicament.

A cruel preference along with their killing intent.

I see… it seems they’re a bit different from the other monsters I’ve encountered so far.

I don’t think they’ve even thought that I have killed the dragon zombie here.

I’m just a “human” who had been secretly hiding in the dead carcass of the dead dragon.

Perhaps, that’s what they have perceived.

[……….]

They look the same.

The current situation is just like the scene before I had been sent here.

Those guys from 2-C.

Kirihara, Oyamada, Yasu, that sh*tty goddess…

An air full of scorn and curses, as if they’re throwing stones to those who were weak.

The air of someone who looks down on the weak.

The air of those who howl unsightly looking for hope.

Suuu…

I raise my arm and held it forward.

The lizardmen were feeling excited.

I get the feeling like they’re jeering at me.

Raising my arms forward may have given the impression of someone saying, “Please wait a moment!”.

[To all you bastards, I give my thanks.]

[Ggiiyyoo?]

The lizardmen glare at me with cold eyes.

[For simple trashes like you all, I could kill you without hesitation.]

Kuuuoooooooohhhhhh—

At that moment, one of the lizardmen’s eyes lit up.

A strange high-pitched cry reverbrated.

The back of its forehead and its eyes were shining red.

The upper mouth of the lizardman also became more reddish.

[<Paralyze>]

[Gguuoo, guueee…? Geehh, ggeeehhh. geeehhh!? Ggeeggeeeehhh—]

Boggaannn!!!

The lizardman’s head that were turning red have exploded.

It had blown out everything above its neck.

The energy that it was about to release has lost its bearing and went out of control.

Did it get angry and was trying to threaten me?

Or is it that it got bored with me and now trying to kill me?

Whichever it is, I do not know.

I glance at the lizardman who has lost its neck.

[It begun, huh… when the enemies can use something like projectile weapons.]

I had begun to take notice of something at this moment.

It’s thanks to the fact that I had passed a battle of life and death against those birdheads and minotaurs.

Have I become too sensitive as a result of my continued nervousness?

Have I become too adapted with this situation, that my instincts had adapted to the environment?

My reflexes to the opponent’s movements had been surprisingly high.

Now, I was able to react in just a moment.

I am now able to perceive their movements.

To put it in other words, I had gained the ability to forestall.

The sense of getting stronger by being placed beside death.

The reaction speed is not based on the correction values.

I think…

The thing that I, who had been always beside death, gained.

It’s a status(self-made) outside the status(correction values).

Anyway, the key to this abnormal skill is that I had to apply this skill to them before they were able to move.

Victory is almost confirmed if I released my skill before the opponent could attack.

Therefore, improving my reflexes and prediction of the enemies’ initial movements were more important than anything else.

In that sense, it can be said that this place is perfect for honing my reflexes.

For a moment though, I suddenly felt lost for words.

The best training ground, heh.

Because this is such a place, even just a step forward made me keener.

[Guuu, ggiiieeeeehhh]

[Giii, giiggguuuu…?]

The group of lizardmen spread out like forming a fan in front of me.

Everyone of them seems to be feeling uncomfortable.

I can somehow get what they are thinking.

“How did that fellow miss that shot?”

The guys in the front row aren’t sure of what happened behind them.

They’re just stiffly standing there while facing me.

Yes— the lizardman can’t move already.

The composure in their face has long been lost already.

Perhaps that kind of face, is one expressing confusion upon their current predicament.

[Because I can now endow on multiple targets, it will be decided that I will endow it to them all together.]

The lizardmen is confused as they felt the coming crisis on them.

[Ggggiii, gggeee, gggeeee…!]

[….that’s quite a good expression, isn’t it? I see—]

Is that the expression of someone knowing they’re about to be trampled?

[Hmm?]

Something is coming…

Dododododododododododo…..

A group of quadruped lizards which had string like tools wrapped around it’s neck.

It sounds like a muddy stream is approaching in here.

Maybe it’s that explosion before that might have attracted them here.

Are these the lizardmen’s pet mount?

Its eyes were golden.

There’s orange lines flowing within its black skin.

They number about twenty.

They also have those tentacles that squirts liquid from the tip.

It was those eyes though that caught my attention, it’s full of killing intent.

Its line of sight has caught me.

This lizard gives off the same feeling as those minotaurs and birdheads.

This guy, purely wanted to kill me.

[Ggiiiiyoooeeehhh! Gggiiggiiiyyyooooeeeeeehhh!]

[Iggiieeeeehhh! Eehhehhehhhhehhhh!]

They’re scrambling to rush towards here.

It’s like they’re trying to say that I were their prey.

[Ggyyooo, gggueeehhh!?]

The first lizard blows away the lizardman who were paralyzed in the furthest row.

…are they not their owner?

Furthermore,

Doooo—gggaaannnn!

Doooggaannn!

It happened around the back of the approaching quadruped lizard.

[[Ggiiiiyyyaaaaoooohhhh!!!]]

Two more dragon zombies appeared by destroying the walls.

Was it also drawn by the sound of explosion from earlier?

With its momentum when it broke through the wall, they opened their mouths and rushed towards here.

[Geez…]

…is everyone retarded these days?

[Why the heck are you bastards coming here just for you to pretend like you’ll kill me?]

I guess he’s going to kill me.

I guess he’s going to play around with me.

I still believe that the monsters here were the strongest.

They may not have thought of being defeated of such a meager human.

[Though I’ve said that earlier… it seems that having a low correction value is surprisingly not bad at all.]

They can estimate the strength of their opponents that were weaker than them.

I look down on the lizardmen who had been ridiculing me just now.

A super strong enemy that gives off an enormous amount of EXP you may be, your splendid negligence had been the cause of your conclusion.

[Well then— good work on coming here, you sh*tty monsters.]

I raise both of my arms forward.

[<Paralyze>]

With my bared teeth — I can feel a crooked grin on my face.

[<Poison>]

Thank you everyone, it’s now time for your death.